Wednesday, September 07, 2011

NORTH CAROLINA: FRC Launches Anti-Gay Marriage Radio Campaign

The Family Research Council, an SPLC-certified hate group whose president once gave $82,000 to the Ku Klux Klan, has launched an anti-gay marriage radio campaign in North Carolina, where a constitutional ban will be voted on this Tuesday. Twelve different versions of the ad, each with the endorsement of a different local GOP official, are being broadcast.

Marriage is at risk in our state. Our laws defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman could be overturned. Marriage between one man and one woman benefits families in society so we must preserve the marriage laws in our state Constitution. On September 12, the North Carolina Legislature will vote on putting a marriage amendment to a vote of the people. Powerful voices in our state capitol are threatening your right to vote on marriage. Take a stand for marriage. Call [your representative] and ask [them] to vote yes to the marriage amendment. It’s not about party, it’s about marriage. And on September 12, join us for a rally supporting marriage at11 a.m.in front of the legislative building in Raleigh. Bring a sign and take a stand for marriage.

VIDEO: At a press conference apparently meant to ridicule homosexuals, one local elected official held up a lock and a key to demonstrate the "essential inability" of gay people to "consummate a marriage."

Trevor Project: Talk To Me

Pat Condell - In Superstition We Trust

Tweet Of The Day - Alec Baldwin

Some folks on Twitter are not happy with Baldwin using the word "queen" in this disparaging fashion. I'm not bothered by it though, especially coming from one of the community's best known allies. Nobody would be troubled in the slightest if this diss came from a gay man, I think we can give the same pass to our friends. (In this, and some, but definitely not all situations.)

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Arizona may not revoke domestic partner insurance benefits for gay employees of the state. For now, Gov. Jan Brewer can suck it.

In a unanimous opinion, the three-judge panel agreed the state is not obligated to provide health insurance for its workers or their families. "But when a state chooses to provide such benefits, it may not do so in an arbitrary or discriminatory manner that adversely affects particular groups that may be unpopular," Judge Mary Schroeder wrote for the court. She noted there is no other way for gay workers to get those benefits in Arizona, with a state constitutional amendment barring same-sex nuptials. Tuesday's ruling does not end the efforts by lawmakers and Gov. Jan Brewer to curtail the benefits. Instead, it simply requires the state to continue providing coverage until there is a full trial on whether the law is unconstitutional. "It seems apparent that the court's real motivation here is for the legalization of gay marriage," said Brewer press aide Matthew Benson. "The governor stands with the majority of Arizona who overwhelmingly in 2008 defined marriage as between one man and one woman."

Arizona began offering domestic partners benefits in 2008 at the order of then-Gov. Janet Napolitano.

David Barton: If You Vote In Support Of Gay Rights, God Will Curse You

"I will tell you where this becomes very significant politically, it Romans 1:27-32, the scripture says not only does God not approve homosexuality, it says He does not approve those who do approve of homosexuality. So I’ve got a ballot, I’ve got a vote, I vote for somebody that approves homosexuality, God doesn’t approve me if I approve those who approve homosexuality. The Bible is so good about helping us know how to vote, because what you said is exactly right. The reason homosexuality will kill the blessing and I’ll tell you why, if I support someone who supports homosexuality, it will kill the blessing on me whether I’m a homosexual or not." - Dominionist David Barton, speaking on Christian television.

IRELAND: Rory's Story For Marriage

Quote Of The Day - John M. Oldham

"The American Psychiatric Association (APA) recognizes gender identity disorder (GID) as a psychiatric disorder that involves significant distress or impairment in functioning. The APA supports access to appropriate diagnosis and treatment for persons with GID and recognizes that the decision to undergo gender transition is a deeply personal one. The APA opposes all forms of discrimination against persons with GID. There is no evidence that viewing a television game show with a transgender contestant would induce Gender Identity Disorder in young people." - APA president John M. Oldham, responding to the outrageous claims of Fox News' Dr. Keith Ablow.

Young Professionals - 20 Seconds

The Way Of The Mister

Here's a satiric take on the "ex-gay" industry, from the same folks who brought you the amusing Mr. Deity web series. "Doubletree claims to have helped hundreds of men and women escape from their strictly heterosexual lifestyles, or as he calls it, 'monosexuality.'"

Shannon Minter On The Prop 8 Hearing

"I was concerned by the tenor of many of the justices' questions today. The court has a responsibility to enforce the California Constitution, which gives elected state officials--not private initiative sponsors--the authority to decide whether to appeal a federal court decision invalidating a state law. Both conservative and progressive elected officials have occasionally exercised that discretion in the past by choosing not to expend state resources to defend invalidated measures. Permitting special interest groups to usurp that decision-making authority would dramatically change the current law and take a giant step down the road of turning California into a mobocracy.

"I was disappointed that, with some notable exceptions, too many of the court's questions today did not address the specific legal questions before them, but rather seemed to glorify the initiative process in the abstract and to abdicate a searching examination of the California Constitution in favor of emotional appeals to 'the people.' The initiative process is already frequently misused to target vulnerable groups, due in part to the Court's past reluctance to enforce any meaningful limits on the process, even when those limits are mandated by the California Constitution. I sincerely hope the Court does not compound that mistake by now giving initiative proponents an unprecedented new power to step outside of their proper legislative role and usurp the power that our Constitution gives only to elected state officials in the executive branch." - Shannon Minter, Legal Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Democrat Leads For Weiner's Seat

For the special election to replace Rep. Anthony Weiner, New York Assemblyman David Weprin (above left) has opened up an eight-point polling lead over NOM-backed Bob Turner, who also has the support of Orthodox Jews who say Weprin has betrayed them.

The GSG survey also found Weprin's numbers improved when respondents were "informed" of his endorsement by the NYT. (I'm not sure if voters were "informed" about any other endorsements.) Crowed Josh Schwerin of the DCCC: “This poll confirms what we always knew, voters are rejecting Bob Turner’s radical agenda of cutting Medicare and Social Security and leaving 9/11 volunteers out in the cold, while protecting tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. New Yorkers prefer David Weprin’s plan to grow the economy and protect Medicare and Social Security to Bob Turner’s extremism.”

RELATED: JMG reader David writes to note that he has received robo-text messages claiming that Weprin "defied Jewish law" by voting for same-sex marriage. The text came from Americans In Contact PAC, whose most recent failure was their support of Jane Corwin for NY-26. The special election is this Tuesday.

REWIND: Yesterday's Prop 8 Hearing

Bloomberg: Stop Saying "Ground Zero"

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants the media to stop referring to the site of the former World Trade Center as "Ground Zero."

"We will never forget the devastation of the area that came to be known as 'Ground Zero' — never," Bloomberg said as he heralded lower Manhattan's recovery from 9/11 at an Association for a Better New York breakfast. "But now, the time has come for us to call those 16 acres what they are: The World Trade Center and the National September 11th Memorial and Museum." Far from the smoking pile of rubble that filled the area in the fall of 2001 — or the languishing construction pit in the years that followed — the World Trade Center now holds two rising skyscrapers and an eight-acre memorial set to open this Sunday, on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, Bloomberg said.

Every single time I get stopped by tourists, they want to know how to get to Ground Zero. That name won't be going away soon.

No No No No No

Gizmodo's Sam Biddle takes a dim view of a new smartphone app that offers the use of your home bathroom to people that you have friended on Facebook.

The crew behind CLOO, who apparently think putting a sassy salsa soundtrack to their demo video somehow makes the notion of a stranger coming in off the street and taking a shit in your bathroom (or doing Christ only knows what else) more palatable, are incorrect in their assumption. Unless I need spare dollars to feed the worst heroin addiction mankind has ever known, or am conducting a social experiment to see how many times I can be strangled to death, I don't want strangers in my apartment using my bathroom. I don't want strangers in my apartment baking cakes. I don't want strangers in my apartment reading to me as I fall asleep. I don't want strangers in my apartment.

TEXAS: Wildfires Continue To Rage

Under Gov. Rick Perry (R) this year, Texas slashed state funding for the volunteer fire departments that protect most of the state from wildfires like the ones that have recently destroyed more than 700 homes. Volunteer departments that were already facing financial strain were slated to have their funding cut from $30 million to $7 million, according to KVUE. The majority of Texas is protected by volunteer fire departments. There are 879 volunteer fire departments in Texas and only 114 paid fire departments. Another 187 departments are a combination of volunteer and paid. For that reason, aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could be more important than ever to the state where wildfires have recently been raging.

Perry plans to ask for federal disaster relief. NOW, he needs the feds.

GOP Rep. Michael Grimm: WTC Cross Should Be A National Monument

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) is calling for a chunk of scrap metal found in the rubble of the World Trade Center to be made into a national monument.

A New York congressman plans to introduce legislation that would make a national monument out of the so-called World Trade Center cross. The cross consists of two intersecting steel beams that were found intact in the rubble at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The cross was moved over the summer to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, but a group called American Atheists sued to block its display. The atheist group claimed the makeshift cross had become a "Christian icon," which was being included in a museum without equal representation of other religions. But Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., said the cross is "not about Christianity" and should be given national recognition even if it's not in a museum.

Crazy Eyes: We Don't Need No Education

"The Constitution does not specifically enumerate nor does it give to the federal government the role and duty to superintend over education. That historically has been held by the parents and by local communities and by state government. To put that into the federal government as we saw a Department of Education in the late 1970s has eviscerated the constitutional understanding that the control of education truly lies with the parents."- Rep. Michele Bachmann, telling a South Carolina audience that if elected, she will abolish the Department of Education.

No True Scotsman Christian

Christianist dogma says that when Christians commit violent acts, they aren't real Christians. But when Muslims commit violence, they are totally representative of all 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. (Source)

At Yesterday's Prop 8 Hearing

Concerned Women Are Concernstipated About The End Of Civility

"Violence is nothing new for unions. Members of the Communication Workers of America attacked a female FreedomWorks activist in February, union protestors threatened to break the neck of a Fox News reporter during a broadcast earlier this year in Wisconsin, and in September of last year, AFL-CIO leader Richard Trumka praised Nancy Pelosi for taking Obamacare and driving 'it down the Republicans’ throats and out their backsides.' The professional Left knows the day of reckoning is coming, when the American people will call them to account for what they have done to our economy and our country. Their response will be to blame you, blame your family, blame your neighbors, and blame anybody but themselves. And this is just the beginning." - Concerned Women for America CEO Penny Nance, complaining about the incivility of the left.

NOTE: Isn't a cute when a hate group calls you "perverse, diseased, and predatory," then tells you a minute later to watch your language?

Hoopy Froods: Know Where Your Towel Is

It's perfectly legal to be nude on the streets of San Francisco, provided one isn't hassling passersby or behaving lewdly. But the city does want its naturists to make one small, but important change.

While nudists roam free in tolerant San Francisco, one city lawmaker wants to require them to wear clothing in restaurants and to put a towel on public benches before sitting. Supervisor Scott Wiener said he will introduce public nudity legislation requiring nudists to adhere to “basic concepts of public health” at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. The legislation will require nudes in public to place an item such as a towel underneath them when they sit down, and to don clothing before they enter a restaurant. The supervisor said the Castro district, one of the neighborhoods he was elected to represent, has seen an uptick in public nudity.

Attack Ad: Ron Paul Vs. Rick Perry

NCLR's Kate Kendell On Prop 8 Hearing

"It would be an unthinkable blow to California’s democratic system of government if the handful of individuals who sponsored Prop 8 could make decisions for the entire state. Today’s arguments raised critical questions affecting the future of all groups who may be targeted by unconstitutional ballot initiatives, and the California Supreme Court’s decision will determine whether our state can be held hostage by special interests with no accountability to the public. We are hopeful that the Court will affirm that a handful of private citizens representing only their own narrow interests cannot usurp the role of the duly elected officials of the state of California." - National Center for Lesbian Rights head Kate Kendell, in a press release about today's Prop 8 hearing.

NOTE: I watched the entire thing. Judging by the way the justices grilled Ted Olson, I'm inclined to think they will grant standing to Protect Marriage.

Bloggy Votey Thingy

TODAY: Prop 8 Standing Hearing

Today the California Supreme Court will hear Protect Marriage's argument that they should have standing to defend Proposition 8. The hearing is scheduled to begin around 10am (San Francisco time) and will be carried live on the California Channel. I'll hunt around for embeddable live stream, but hang on to the above link.

Economic Terrorists At Family Research Council Urge Boycott Of DWTS

"On the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars, the indoctrination is in full swing. This fall, ABC's picked its first transsexual to compete. Chaz Bono, the famous child of Sonny and Cher, may have been born a woman, but she'll be dancing as a man. And while the gay community approves, fans certainly don't. ABC's been blasted by thousands of viewers for turning a popular show into an hour-long political statement. The message boards are full of angry parents who think ABC's gone too far. One mom wrote, 'I am not about to risk the potential for on screen dialogue about sex changes and gender confusion while my 7 and 9-year old are watching. We are NOT tolerant [if tolerance means allowing] any influences to come unfiltered into our home.' I guess if 'Dancing' wants to advertise for the radical Left, they'll find out how out of step they are!" - Tony Perkins, hate group head, KKK backer, and supporter of white supremacists.

Attack Ad: Huntsman Vs. Romney

Space, Junked

In the mere 54 years since the advent of the space age, the nations of Earth have created an orbiting trash pile of more than 150,000 pieces of junk. Now, finally, comes the call for a clean-up campaign. Because it has become increasingly difficult to fly through all that crap.

The National Research Council says that the amount of space debris is past the "tipping point." Space launches will become riskier and more expensive because of the problems of avoiding debris and armoring space vehicles against the impact of unavoidable junk. The cleanup calls for a coordinated international effort by the dozen or so space-faring nations. NASA should take the lead because it has the skill to track debris ― the military space command is currently tracking 22,000 pieces 4 inches or larger ― and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has the inventive minds to devise ways of eliminating it. Besides, 30 percent of the junk is ours. But China especially should be assessed a large share of cleanup duties and costs. In 2007, despite warnings from other space nations, China, in a reckless and pointless display of its new space prowess, launched a missile to hit an obsolete weather satellite. The impact created 150,000 new pieces of space debris, 3,118 large enough to be tracked from the ground. That, combined with the collision of two satellites over Siberia in 2009, more than doubled the amount of junk in orbit.

"Harpoons, nets, tethers, magnets and even a giant dish or umbrella-shaped device" are among the suggested solutions.

NOM Expands NY Senate Campaign

A few days ago the first billboard in NOM's campaign to punish NY state senators went up in the district of GOP Sen. Roy McDonald. Today NOM launches a money drive to harass all of the senators who flipped their votes. It's unclear how many, if any, of the above senators are in districts where NOM could prevail. Sen. Carl Kruger (D) will likely not run again due that pesky corruption arrest by the FBI.

Bankruptcy Looms For Postal Service

Unless Congress takes some dramatic action, the long-predicted bankruptcy of the Postal Service may become a reality. The USPS may default on a $5.5B loan which is due at the end of this month.

“Our situation is extremely serious,” the postmaster general, Patrick R. Donahoe, said in an interview. “If Congress doesn’t act, we will default.” In recent weeks, Mr. Donahoe has been pushing a series of painful cost-cutting measures to erase the agency’s deficit, which will reach $9.2 billion this fiscal year. They include eliminating Saturday mail delivery, closing up to 3,700 postal locations and laying off 120,000 workers — nearly one-fifth of the agency’s work force — despite a no-layoffs clause in the unions’ contracts.

Teabaggers are exulting over the above news, noting that the USPS spends 80% of its budget on its unionized labor force.

RELATED: My maternal grandfather was a lifer with the USPS and spent 33 years trudging the streets of Newark during the city's much better days. By the time he retired, three decades of heavy mailbags had worn a literal notch in his permanently tilted right shoulder. I also recall that he loathed the title "mailman," preferring to be called a "letter carrier."

REPORT: Iran Hangs Three For Sodomy

According to the Iran Human Rights blog, this weekend Iran executed three men for the crime of sodomy.

The state run Iranian news agency ISNA reported that three of those executed were sentenced to death by the Ahvaz revolution court, convicted of "unlawful" acts and acts against Sharia, based on the articles 108 and 110 of the Iranian Islamic penal code. Articles 108 and 110 of the Iranian Islamic Penal code are part of the chapter covering the punishment of "Hadd" for "sodomy". Article 108 says: "Sodomy (or Lavat) is sexual intercourse between men”, and article 110 says:”Punishment for sodomy is killing; the Sharia judge decides on how to carry out the killing". The men were identified as: "M. T.", "T. T." and "M. Ch." (age not mentioned for any of them) and besides being convicted of sodomy, had also committed other offences such as kidnapping and robbery, said the report.

Please note that reports of this sort have sometimes proven to be unreliable. In some cases, charges of homosexuality or sodomy are heaped upon non-gay prisoners as a final insult to their families or to justify a political execution.

Conservapedia On JMG

According to an article on the front page of Conservapedia, the Christianist version of Wikipedia, my posting (without comment) of an anti-evolution clip is "sulking" evidence of my inability to answer its "15 questions." Whatevs. I only mention this because we're already seeing the trolls trickle in. Be advised.

Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Monday, September 05, 2011

Top Aides Bail On Crazy Eyes

On the heels of our report that Michele Bachmann campaign manager Ed Rollins is stepping back into an advisory role, citing health concerns, comes word that his deputy, David Polyansky, is leaving the campaign. "I wish Michele nothing but the best, and anyone who underestimates her as a candidate does so at their own peril," Polyansky told POLITICO. But a GOP source familiar with the situation said that Polyansky had "strategic differences on the path forward" with the candidate, who has struggled to gain traction in the last few weeks.

Quote Of The Day - Andy Pugno

"Please join us, and thousands of other supporters, in prayer this evening and tomorrow morning for safety as our Legal Team pushes through the hoards* of homosexual activists into the courthouse in the heart of San Francisco, and for the wisdom and grace needed to prevail in court." - Protect Marriage head Andy Pugno, in a press release warning that evil homofascists may assault Prop 8 backers as they arrive for tomorrow's standing hearing.

Erasure - When I Start To

HomoQuotable - Kevin DuJan

"I would shop exclusively at non-union stores in a heartbeat if I had a list of companies to evaluate. This means not staying in union hotels when traveling, not buying groceries from union-stocked shelves, not going anywhere near labor unions whenever possible. If the Labor Unions have declared war on Republicans and have now pledged to serve as Obama’s Goon Squad and Thug Army in 2012, why give the Unions any more of your hard earned money by shopping in stores that help fund the unions? Why not support companies who have fought hard to keep Democrats’ thuggery out of their stores so that none of your money ever falls into the DNC’s hands? - Homocon blogger Kevin DuJan.

It's The Gays' Fault!

During Stockholm Pride, Swedish state television aired this skewering of fundamentalism, which was performed at an audience sing-along festival. If subtitles do not appear, click on the red "CC" button at the bottom right of the player.

Zillionaire Anti-Gay Jews For Jesus

Jay Sekulow, who convinced the Supreme Court that Jews For Jesus had the right to harass people at airports, is the head of Pat Robertson's anti-gay American Center for Law & Justice. And surprise surprise, that gig is earning him tens of millions from tax-exempt "charities."

Since 1998, the two charities have paid out more than $33 million to members of Sekulow's family and businesses they own or co-own, according to the charities' federal tax returns. One of the charities is controlled by the Sekulow family — tax documents show that all four of CASE's board members are Sekulows and another is an officer — an arrangement criticized by a nonprofit watchdog group. The founder of a different Christian legal organization takes aim at the idea of Sekulow profiting in the name of religion, saying it isn't what Jesus would do. The American Center for Law and Justice's tax attorney says the payments to the Sekulows and businesses they own or co-own are all made for the charities' benefit and have passed an IRS audit. Sekulow's supporters say he is a humble man dedicated to the Christian cause. Members of the Sekulow family declined requests for interviews.

A spokesman for Sekulow calls him "one of the most successful lawyers in the country whose income is very small and owns a very small home." Sekulow actually owns three luxury homes with a combined worth of nearly $2 million. Just a tiny lie for Jeebus! Oh and he gives Antonin Scalia rides on his private jet. Glory! Praise Him!

Ten Worst Songs Of The 1990s

Tap Tap Tap

MINNESOTA: Activists Glitter Booth Of Anti-Marriage Group At State Fair

Clip description:

St. Paul, MN — Glitter rained down from the heavens in a "Minnesota Miracle" on the anti-marriage equality booth at the Minnesota state fair. LGBT equality activists showered the booth from a ski-lift shouting: "Where's our booth?" and "Equality for all!" in reference to the strange appearance of the anti-gay booth despite the exclusion of a pro-equality booth on the fairgrounds. "As LGBT people are excluded from basic rights like marriage, the voices of marriage equality activists in Minnesota were excluded from having a booth at the Minnesota state fair," said participant Joanna Hirvela, "but we will not be silenced. Wherever there is bigotry, let there be glitter."

Sunday, September 04, 2011

TRAILER: Red State

Oh Noes! Hate Group Haz Money Woes!

Focus On The Family, which went through an embarrassing reduction in their hate force just last year, is back on the financial ropes. Squee!

CitizenLink this week sent an email to constituents pleading for $2.3 million in 30 days to avoid a budget shortfall. If the money is not raised, “our ability to act on your behalf will be severely, and perhaps irreparably, hurt,” wrote Tom Minnery, CitizenLink executive director. “The threat is still very real,” Minnery writes. “If we don’t stay vigilant, last year’s victories can AND WILL be taken from us!” Like most nonprofits, CitizenLink has experienced a dramatic drop in donations in recent years. In fiscal 2009, donations were $6.5 million, according to CitizenLink financial records. A year later, donations fell to $5 million. In the run-up to the November 2010 midterm elections, the organization received a sharp increase in donations. But since then, Minnery said Wednesday, giving has fallen off to a worrying degree. CitizenLink’s 2011 fiscal budget is $5.8 million. The $2.3 million shortfall needs to be balanced by Sept. 30.

Quote Of The Day - Sam Pee Yalley

"Genocide results in the extermination of the human race and if you expand the meaning of homosexuality to mean that a man cannot have a child with another man, then it means that that practice would lead to the extermination of mankind. Therefore, if I am to charge anybody apart from having unnatural carnal knowledge, I would also charge him with genocide and see how he can get out of that situation. If you are a man and you are having canal knowledge with a man how are you going to have a child? I agree totally with the clergy in condemning it." - Former Ghana Deputy Minister Sam Pee Yalley.

Ghana, like many African nations, is currently being swept with murderous anti-gay fervor largely fueled by the words and money of American evangelists like Scott Lively.

RELATED: Yalley was recently appointed as the head legal official for the Confederation of African Tennis, a continent-wide consortium of tennis-playing nations.

CALIFORNIA: Hate Groups Have Five Weeks Left On SB 48 Petition Drive

The head of Equality California this week predicted that our side will lose, should the attempt to repeal SB 48 make it onto the ballot. The good news is, the other side faces a tough time making the ballot deadline, largely because the Mormon and Catholic groups that backed Prop 8 have stayed out of this one so far.

"If someone wrote a million-dollar check, we would be guaranteed to get this on the ballot," said Pacific Justice Institute President Brad Dacus, whose legal aid firm wrote the proposed measure and is co-sponsoring the signature-gathering effort. "That's not the case at this point. We are counting on people in churches and communities and families making the extra effort to get it done." Supporters have until Oct. 12 to collect 504,760 signatures from registered voters to qualify the measure for the ballot. Conventional wisdom among political consultants is that it will be difficult to meet the requirement with such a short window and only volunteers.

Wanna bet that "million dollar check" magically appears?

VIDEO: Watch JMG reader Sean Chapin's YouTube campaign in opposition to the repeal of SB 48, in which Chapin goes after local media bias.

SNIPPET: Gaga & Tony Bennett

Anti-Bullying Law Passes CA Senate

California's state Senate has approved a comprehensive anti-bullying law requiring schools to investigate the harassment of students. The bill passed in the state Assembly three months ago and Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to sign it. "Seth's Law" is named for Seth Walsh, the 13 year-old California boy who hung himself in his backyard after being bullied for being gay.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic," said Wendy Walsh, Seth's mother. "I am truly honored. Seth would be very honored. I really hope the governor signs it." State Sen. Michael Rubio, D-Shafter, voted yes while state Sen. Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield, voted no. Fuller said Friday she believes schools are burdened already with too many "one-size-fits-all" state laws, and local districts should be making the calls. "That's why we have school boards and superintendents," said Fuller, former Bakersfield City School District superintendent. A year ago this month, Seth Walsh hanged himself in his backyard. He left a suicide note expressing anger at his school "for bringing you this sorrow." And just more than two months ago, federal officials announced Tehachapi Unified School District failed to investigate or respond appropriately to the bullying of Seth.

Just Married

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Asshat Of The Day - Matthew Vadum

"Why are left-wing activist groups so keen on registering the poor to vote? Because they know the poor can be counted on to vote themselves more benefits by electing redistributionist politicians. Welfare recipients are particularly open to demagoguery and bribery. Registering them to vote is like handing out burglary tools to criminals. It is profoundly antisocial and un-American to empower the nonproductive segments of the population to destroy the country -- which is precisely why Barack Obama zealously supports registering welfare recipients to vote. Encouraging those who burden society to participate in elections isn't about helping the poor. It's about helping the poor to help themselves to others' money. It's about raw so-called social justice. It's about moving America ever farther away from the small-government ideals of the Founding Fathers." - Matthew Vadum, writing for American Thinker.

RELATED:Media Matters notes that Fox News has already given this fuckwad airtime.

Department Of Interior - It Gets Better

Uganda Health Minister: Pray AIDS Away

Uganda's new minister of health claims that prayer cures AIDS. And surprise surprise, she's also a backer of the "Kill Gays Bill" and is supported by American evangelicals. All are complicit in the deaths of any Ugandan who rejects medical treatment for AIDS.

In May 2011 Dr. Christine Ondoa was chosen as the new head of Uganda's Ministry of Health. The position will give Ondoa authority over a significant portion of Uganda's foreign HIV/AIDS mitigation funding, which in the year 2010 included over $270 million dollars from the United States. Along with her role as a medical professional, Christine Ondoa also serves as pastor in the Life Line Ministries of apostle Julius Peter Oyet, one of the most powerful clerics leading Uganda's ongoing crusade against gay rights. Since her appointment as Health Ministry head, Ondoa has promoted the claim, an established tenet of Peter Wagner's apostolic movement, also advanced by Oyet's Life Line Ministries, that HIV/AIDS can be cured through prayer.

RELATED: Warren Throckmorton reports today: "In a sign that debate is heating up in Uganda over the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, the Family Life Network of Stephen Langa convened a press conference yesterday and initiated the 'Pass the Bill Now' campaign."

Pray Away The Gay!

Britain's Liberal Democrats have nominated former cop Brian Paddick as their choice for mayor of London. Until he left the force, Paddick was the highest-ranked openly gay police officer in Britain.

Tonight, Mr Paddick said: “I hope to visit every local party in London, to meet the activists whose support we rely on year after year and to raise as much money as possible for the campaign ahead. I know from personal experience how tough the GLA [Greater London Assembly] Elections are for us as a party and next year will be no exception. I promise to devote myself full-time between now and May to securing the best possible result for the Liberal Democrats and with your help, we can deliver the best result we have ever had in the history of the GLA elections.”

Paddick finished a distant third in the 2008 mayoral election. Paris, Berlin, and Houston are the biggest cities in the world with openly gay mayors currently in office.

Christian TV Slams DWTS

Liberty Counsel: All Gays Are Pedophiles

"We know that pedophilia, which was the original Greek they say it’s ‘love of’ but of course it isn’t, it’s ‘lust for’ boys. And there’s a strong, clear, cross-cultural, historical reality, people don’t want to do deal with, but the propaganda has been loud and strong to deny the fact, the aim of homosexual males and now increasingly females is not to have sex with other old guys and get married but to obtain sex with as many boys as possible. That’s the reality. I wish it weren’t, but it is." - Liberty University law professor Judith Reisman, speaking on Matt Barber's Liberty Counsel radio show.

The Opiates - Rainy Days & Saturdays

With the single 'Rainy Days and Saturdays', The Opiates live up to their 'Carpenters of Electro' title and hope to conquer airwaves and underground alike. It's a song about the transsexual Candy Darling who, although leading the wild life and preparing for a sex change, dreams of married life and a house in the suburbs.

Friday, September 02, 2011

PhoboQuotable - Dr. Keith Ablow

"I advise parents to not allow their children to watch the episodes in which Chaz appears. [snip] Chaz Bono should not be applauded for asserting she is a man (and goes about trying to look like one) any more than a woman who believes she will be happier without arms, has them removed and then continues to assert that she was right all along—her self-concept was that of a double amputee. Now, all is well. Chaz Bono should not be applauded any more than someone who, tragically, believes that his species, rather than gender, is what is amiss and asks a plastic surgeon to build him a tail of flesh harvested from his abdomen. If only a plastic surgeon would acquiesce, all would be well." - Dr. Keith Ablow, writing for Fox News.

Kathy Griffin Vs. Ladybird

September 17th: Day Of Rage

On the 17th of September, we want to see 20,000 people to flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months. Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices and we will not leave until that demand has been met. Like our brothers and sisters in Egypt, Greece, Spain, and Iceland, we plan to use the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic of mass occupation to restore democracy in America. We also encourage the use of nonviolence to achieve our ends and maximize the safety of all participants.

Porno Pete Promises "Big Changes"

Buried at the bottom of a standard money-for-Jeebus pitch, Porno Pete LaBarbera asks for prayers in support of the coming "big changes" at his SPLC-certified hate organization. Open forum: what do you think those changes will be?

MTA To Run Nostalgia Train

New York City's MTA has found a commercial sponsor for this year's Nostalgia Train event, during which restored and historic trains run on weekends.

Starting on Saturday, September 3rd an authentic vintage 1920’s train will run on the express 2/3 track in Manhattan throughout September (specifically, from 12 to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays). Originally operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) system, the train began service back in 1917 and will once again be operational. Customers who have the opportunity to ride the vintage train will be transported back in time to the Prohibition era with authentic details such as rattan seats, ceiling fans and drop sash windows, as well as a custom branded interior featuring Boardwalk Empire-inspired period artwork.

It's important to note that these old trains have no air conditioning or heat, which is likely why the event runs in September.

WASHINGTON: DC Strip Club Built With Funds Stolen From HIV/AIDS Grant

HRC Denounces King Mistrial

Just in from Joe Solmonese:

“It is disappointing that the criminal justice system has failed to bring closure to the family, friends and community that loved Lawrence. In the wake of the mistrial, and in honor of Lawrence, we will continue our efforts to prevent these types of tragedies by working with school districts across our nation to stamp out the ignorance and prejudice that led to Lawrence’s death. It’s up to the adults around children to call out that early behavior and prejudice, and to explain that the differences among us are part of what makes us strong: that being different is not something to attack, but to appreciate. If Lawrence or Brandon had lived in that world, their lives might not have collided in tragedy and death.”

Condi Rice Vs. Darth Cheney

"It certainly doesn't sound like me, now, does it? I would never – I don't remember coming to the vice president tearfully about anything in the entire eight years that I knew him." - Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, denouncing one of several passages about her in Dick Cheney's just-released autobiography. Cheney says that Rice got all teary-eyed (just like a woman!) when she allegedly admitted an error. He also says that Rice's reports to the president on the status of nuclear talks with North Korea were "utterly misleading."

Asshat Of The Day - Rep. Duncan Hunter

Rep. Duncan Hunter has failed several times in legislative attempts to thwart the repeal of DADT. Now he wants to pass a bill making it legal for straight troops to harass gay ones. SRSLY.

The draft bill prepared by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who served as a Marine Corps officer before being elected to Congress, does not prevent repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy by the end of September, but it would require the services to “ensure that a member of the Armed Forces under their jurisdiction is not pressured to approve of another person’s sexual conduct if that sexual conduct is contrary to the personal principles of the member.” Essentially, this would mean that military people have to accept the presence of gays in the military but they would not have to like it, said an aide familiar with the legislation.

And by "not have to like it," he means "totally free to abuse gay soldiers without fear of reprimand from superiors."

Southern Decadence

Student Vs. Frothy Mix

HomoQuotable - James Randi

"The challenge is open to everyone, famous or not, but the high-profile operators are getting rich by preying on people's grief and guilt about loved ones who have died. It's really despicable. Hopefully, the JREF's Million Dollar Challenge makes people think twice when they hear psychics claiming they can predict the future or talk to the dead. If psychics can really do what they say they can, why hasn't anyone taken our million dollars?" - Famed skeptic James Randi, who has long offered a $1 million reward to any psychic who can prove that their alleged paranormal powers are real. Randi has been taunting the latest group of TV psychics.

Newly seated California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu, who has expressed support for same-sex marriage, is expected to hear Prop 8 arguments next week when the issue of standing is represented to the Court. Anti-gay groups have loudly called for Goodwin to recuse himself from the case based on his past statements. That, apparently, will not be happening. And as you'd expect, the Family Research Council is ever so pissed. Fantastic.

Robot Roommate

Beware The Dangers Of Emo-Porn

Focus On The Family warns women that the "emotional porn" of soap operas and romance novels only sets them up with unrealistic expectations of how men should behave in real life. Don't expect real men in the real world to be emotionally available! Really!

Just as wives rightly complain when compared to the artificially created women of Internet porn, men should complain when compared to the artificial men of daytime television. In the real world where real men burn through a lot of emotional battery life to make a real living, being expected to behave like men who don’t exist is more than wrong. It’s cruel. Emo-porn creates caricatures in the minds and hearts of wives. Most men just aren’t and cannot be that attentive, especially in marriage where responsibilities to provide weigh heavy upon them. Husbands are quietly deemed unresponsive and uncaring when compared to emotionally dexterous hunks of daytime lore, chat rooms, celebrity rags, and romance novels. Thus a secretive and snowballing form of marital discontent is born and nurtured.

ALASKA: Anchorage Tries Again With New LGBT Non-Discrimination Referendum

In 2009 the Anchorage Assembly approved a bill banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The mayor promptly vetoed it. Activists are now attempting to take the issue to the ballot box.

One Anchorage wants voters to add "sexual orientation or transgender identity" to the list, said the group's spokesman, Trevor Storrs. "It's a new name for a very old cause that we've all been working toward, which is the same legal protections for all. It's been going on for decades," Storrs said. "What this initiative does is ensures that the gay and transgender Alaskans, who work hard and play by the rules, will have the exact same legal protections as any other Anchorage resident."

You may recall that Christianists groups staged many large and noisy protests to the previous bill.